Convertible message sign

ABSTRACT

A construction or emergency sign with a changeable message on its front surface. The sign has a diamond shape or a square shape and one or more flaps are secured along the central diagonal of the sign. The flaps are adapted to be releasably fastened to either of two opposite corners of the sign and have messages on both sides. When the flaps are secured in one corner, a first message is presented and when the flaps are secured in the other corner, a second message is presented. A pair of cross-braces hold the sign in a taut planar configuration. The sign is also adapted to be collapsed into a small, compact package for transport and storage. One embodiment of the sign has two or more flaps thus allowing three or more different messages to be presented. Another embodiment has an additional cross-brace allowing the sign to be used to present either diamond or square-shaped messages.

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 743,742,filed June 12, 1985.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention relates to signs and sign stand devices for displayingwarnings or other pertinent messages, and more particularly to animproved roadside sign of the foldable or roll-up variety. Temporarysigns are particularly desirable for warning approaching or passingmotorists of upcoming hazards such as are presented by construction workor emergency situations. Since such traffic hazards can occur anywhere,it is desirable that these roadside signs be easily transported from onelocation to another and be foldable and collapsible for easy storage andtransport. It is also desirable for such signs to be compact andlightweight and further that each sign have the ability to display morethan one message to accommodate a variety of situations so that a largenumber of different signs do not have to be transported within a vehiclewith its limited storage capacity.

Compact, lightweight, easily portable and easily assembled warningdevices are a necessity for emergency use and are highly preferred fortemporary use. At accident scenes, for example, police and otheremergency vehicles need to provide a warning to other approachingtraffic, slow the traffic down, and direct it safely around the accidentsite. Due to the limited space available in police and emergencyvehicles for warning and message signs, it is desirable to have a singlesign be capable of displaying a number of different messages that can beused depending on the conditions (type of road, number of traffic lanes,volume of traffic, etc.).

The warning device should also be small enough to fit easily in thepolice or emergency vehicle without taking up too much space and yet belarge enough in use to be seen easily by approaching motorists. Thedevice should also be highly visible at night and usable in all weatherconditions. The same size and weight considerations also apply totemporary sign equipment for utility and road construction vehicles.

It is known today to use signs made of heavy-duty flexible material,such as reinforced cloth, vinyl, or plastic, with a pair of cross-bracesused to hold the sign panel taut in a planar configuration for use.Known signs are also adapted to be collapsible and rolled up intocompact packages for transportation and storage. It is also known toprovide sign stand assemblies for such signs which have springs orresilient mechanisms to prevent the sign stands from being dislodged ortipped over in high winds. Signs and sign stands having one or more ofthese features are shown, for example, in the following patents andpatent applications, all of which are assigned to the same assignee asthe present invention: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,646,696, 3,662,482, 4,033,536,4,288,053 and 4,507,887; and copending application Ser. Nos. 274,400,filed June 17, 1981, No. 442,378, filed Nov. 17, 1982, No. 573,193,filed Jan. 23, 1984 and No. 581,550, filed Feb. 21, 1984.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved,lightweight, foldable and compact message or legend sign which iscapable of convenient storage and transport and which can be quickly andeasily set up and mounted on a sign stand for use. It is a furtherobject of the present invention to provide such an improved, foldableand compact sign which is capable of displaying more than one message orlegend. It is another object to provide a roll-up sign which is capableof displaying either a diamond-shaped or square-shaped messageconfiguration.

Diamond-shaped signs are used for warning and construction signs. Theyusually have orange or yellow backgrounds. Square-shaped signs are usedfor regulatory signs, such as to display the speed limit, notify trucksof weigh stations, etc., and usually have white backgrounds.

In accordance with the present invention, the sign includes a flexible,foldable (roll-up) sign panel and at least two cross-braces. Thecross-braces are pivotably secured together and are connected to thefour corners of the sign. The connections in at least two of the cornersare releasable or unlockable such that the sign panel can be releasedfrom the cross-braces, the cross-braces can be folded together, and thesign panel can be rolled up around the cross-braces. The sign has atleast one flap member which is approximately one-half the size of thesign and is connected along one of the diagonals of the sign. The flapmember is triangular in shape and is adapted to be connected at its freeend to either of two opposite corners of the sign panel. The flap memberis two-faced with messages contained on both sides. When the flap memberis connected to one corner of the sign panel, a first message or legendis presented; and when the flap member is connected to the oppositecorner of the sign panel, a second message or legend is presented. Thesign also can present either a diamond-shaped warning sign or asquare-shaped regulatory sign to approaching traffic. In the lattersituation, a third cross-brace is provided. Additional second flapmembers can also be provided to allow the sign to display three or moremessages.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description and claims taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of the inventive roll-up type sign inthe display configuration shown with a deflectable base assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inventive sign showing the flapmember and changeable message feature;

FIG. 3 depicts the sign of FIG. 1 but showing the second message;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the sign of FIG. 3 taken along line4--4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the area shown in the encircled area ofFIG. 4 and indicated by the numeral 5;

FIG. 6 is a back view of the sign shown in FIGS. 1-5.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 depict a second embodiment of the invention andillustrate the different messages and sign orientations possible suchembodiment;

FIG. 10 is a side-elevational view of the sign of FIG. 7 viewed indirection of arrows 10--10 thereof;

FIG. 11 is a back view of the sign shown in FIGS. 7 and 9;

FIG. 12 is a back view of the sign shown in FIG. 8; and

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate another embodiment of the invention, with FIGS.13 and 14 being front views depicting the alternate messages and signorientations possible and with FIG. 15 being a side-elevational view ofthe sign of FIG. 13 viewed in the direction of arrows 15--15 thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The drawings show exemplary embodiments of the preferred invention forpurposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readilyrecognize that the principles of the invention are well adapted for usein embodiments other than those specifically shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of the invention in the displayposition. The sign is generally designated by the reference numeral 20and consists of a sign 22 and a base or stand assembly 24. The sign 22has a four-sided sign panel 26 and a pair of cross-braces 28 and 30(better shown in FIGS. 4 and 6). The cross-braces are pivotably securedto one another by pivot pin 32 at their mid-points and are secured tothe four corners of the sign panel 26 at their ends 34, 36, 38 and 40.The ends 34 and 38 of one of the cross-braces 30 are securely fastenedto the sign panel 26 in a permanent manner, such as by rivets or otherfasteners 35. A plurality of similar fasteners 35 are also providedalong the length of the horizontal cross-brace 30 in order to securelyhold the sign panel 26 to it. The ends 36 and 40 of the othercross-brace 28 are secured to the sign panel 26 by releasable fasteners,such as by turn-lock mechanisms 42 (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5).

The cross-braces 28 and 30 hold the sign panel in a taut, planarconfiguration so that the message can be most effectively presented forviewing by passing motorists. When the ends 36 and 40 of the cross-brace28 are released from the sign panel and the cross-brace 28 is rotatedaround pivot pin 32 to a position parallel to cross-brace 30, the signpanel 26 can be rolled up around the two cross-braces forming a light,small, compact package for storage and transport. A piece of Velcromaterial 44 with hook-and-loop fasteners is attached to one corner 41 ofthe sign panel and adapted for use to wrap around the rolled-up sign andhold it together in a package during storage and transport.

The sign panel 26 is made of a foldable, flexible material, such asplastic or vinyl, which can be rolled up for storage and opened up andheld in a taut configuration for presentation. The material also shouldbe durable and weather resistant since the signs are to be used outdoorsin virtually all types of weather conditions. The sign panel also shouldbe made of a reflective material at least on the front surface so thesign and message can be viewed easily at night. Finally, the materialfor the sign panel should have a surface which can be imprinted orsilk-screened with the desired message.

Preferably, the sign panels are made of UV-stabilized thinretroreflective vinyl sheeting, heat sealed in a one-inch grid patternto heavy-duty vinyl coated fabric and silk-screened with a permanentmessage. Retroreflective sign panels from Reflexite Corporation, NewBritain, CT, are satisfactory for use for this application, although anyother comparable reflective roll-up sign material could also beutilized.

The cross-braces 28 and 30 are preferably made of a fiber-glassmaterial, although other materials with similar strength and durabilityproperties can be utilized. Fiber-glass is useful because it has thenecessary strength and durability properties and is also lightweight.

The base or stand assembly 24 can be any standard or conventional typebut preferably is of the type shown in the drawings (FIG. 1) anddescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,433,935 and 4,507,887, and in co-pendingU.S. patent application Ser. No. 442,418, filed Nov. 17, 1982. The standassembly 24 has a base member 46, four pivoted and outwardly extendingground engaging legs 48, a pair of coil springs 50 and an upright member52. The upright member 52 has a channel 53 for mating with the lower end40 of the vertical cross-brace 28. As better described in applicationSer. No. 442,418, the cross-brace 28 is slidingly received in thechannel 53 in the upright member 52 and can be held in place with ahitch-pin or the like. The coil springs (or other equivalent resilientmechanism) allows the sign 22 to rotate or deflect downwardly in highwinds without displacing or turning over the entire sign assembly 20.This is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,433,935 and4,507,887, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

The turn-locks or twist-locks 42 are best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and areused to releasably connect the sign panel 26 to the ends of thecross-braces, particularly the ends 36 and 40 of vertical cross-brace28. The turn-lock 42 has a base 60 which is fixedly attached to thecross-brace, upstanding shaft member 62 and a rotatable end member 64.The sign panel 26 has an opening 66 with a protective grommet 68 aroundit and the opening is positioned to fit over the shaft member 62 of theturn-lock 42 and be held in position by a slight (approximately 90°)rotation of the end member 64. The turn-locks 42 are a quick, convenientand reliable mechanism for connecting the sign panel to thecross-braces. It is also possible, however, to use other mechanisms forfastening the sign panels to the cross-braces, such as snap fasteners orVelcro hook-and-loop fasteners. If Velcro fasteners are utilized, it ispreferable to use wraparound strip-type members as disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,507,887.

In order to provide a convertible or changeable message sign, flapmember 80 is provided on the front face or surface of the sign panel 26.The flap member 80 is triangular in shape and is stitched, glued orotherwise securedly fastened along one edge 82 to the sign panel. Theedge 82 acts as a hinge or pivot line and allows the flap member 80 tobe rotated to a position covering the top half 84 of the sign panel 26or the lower half 86. The two sides of the flap member are made of thesame material as the sign panel 26 and, from a distance, the flapappears to be part of the sign panel itself.

The flap member 80 can be secured in either of its two positions by anyconventional means, such as snap fasteners or Velcro hook-and-loopfasteners, but preferably is secured through use of turn-locks 42. Theshaft members 62 of the turn-locks are lengthened to accommodate twothicknesses of material and an opening 66' with a protective grommet 68'on it is provided in the corner 88 of the flap member 80 to allow theflap to be secured over the turn-lock. A sign panel with the flap memberin the upper position and secured by the turn-lock is depicted in FIGS.3-5.

If the flap member is secured to the sign panel by hook-and-loopfasteners, it is possible to provide a wraparound strap member (notshown) on the corner 88, or strips of fasteners (not shown) along theedges 90 and 92 of the flap member which mate with corresponding strips(not shown) secured to the sign panel.

Where the multiple messages utilize the same color of sign material andlegend color, the size of the triangular flap member 80 is preferablynot precisely one-half the size of the sign panel 26. Instead, aone-to-two inch strip of the sign panel 26 can be left exposed along theoutside edge of the flap member. This utilizes less material creating asavings in cost of the sign materials, and also saves in time andexpense of not having to print a border on the flap member. Mostconstruction and warning signs by regulation require a border 94 aroundtheir outside edges and if the flap member 80 covered up the border,then another border would have to be imprinted on the flap member too.

The use of the flap member 80 allows the sign to display two completelydifferent messages and thus could allow the purchase, inventory andtransport of up to one-half the number of sign panels previously needed.FIGS. 1-6 depict a sign which can display two different messages, thetwo sign messages being shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The sign panel 26 isimprinted with the word "ACCIDENT" on its top half and a changeablearrow design mechanism 100 on its lower half. The flap member 80 has theword "AHEAD" on one side and the word "MERGE" on the other. Thus whenutilized in the field, the sign 22 of FIGS. 1-6 can display either thephrase "ACCIDENT AHEAD" in order to warn approaching motorists, or theword "MERGE" in combination with an arrow in order to direct the trafficinto another lane.

The arrow design mechanism 100 shown in FIG. 3 allows placement of thearrowhead in either of two directions. The shaft of the arrow 102 isimprinted on the sign panel 26 while the arrowhead 104 is contained on aseparate piece of material 106. A series of Velcro hook-and-loopfasteners 108 allow placement of the arrowhead in either direction.

A rear view of the sign 22 is shown in FIG. 6. As shown by this view,the vertical cross-brace 28 can be more securely attached to the signpanel 26 by a plurality of hook-and-loop fasteners 110. The fasteners110 are affixed to the back of the sign panel and have two ends whichare adapted to be wrapped around the cross-brace. Also, a number ofreflective strips of material 112 can be provided on the cross-braces sothat the presence of sign 22 can be visible at night from the oppositeside to motorists.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 7-12. Many ofthe features of this embodiment are the same as those described abovewith reference to FIGS. 1-6 and are numbered with the same referencenumerals. The principal differences between the two embodiments concernthe number of flap members and the number of cross-braces.

The sign 22 shown in FIGS. 7-12 is a convertible or changeable messagesign which is capable of displaying three different messages and alsocapable of being used both as a square-shaped sign, and a diamond-shapedsign. The three different messages are shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9,respectively, with FIGS. 7 and 9 displaying diamond-shaped messages andFIG. 8 displaying a square-shaped message.

The sign panel 26 is substantially the same as that described above.Instead of just one flap member being utilized, however, two flapmembers 120 and 122 are provided. When both flap members are positionedon the lower half of the sign panel (FIG. 7) the first message("ACCIDENT AHEAD") is displayed. When both flap members are positionedon the upper half of the sign panel (FIG. 9), the second message("MERGE" with a direction arrow) is displayed. When the flap member 120is positioned on the upper half of the sign panel and the other flapmember 122 is positioned on the lower half of the sign panel (FIG. 8),the front surface of the sign panel 26 is substantially covered and athird message ("SPEED LIMIT 20") is displayed.

In FIGS. 7-9, the flap members 120 and 122 are shown smaller thanone-half the size of the sign panel 26. Where the sign messages requiredifferent color backgrounds and/or letters, however, the flap membersare sized to substantially cover an entire half of the sign panel. Forexample, if the diamond-shaped warning signs of FIGS. 7 and 8 haveorange backgrounds and the square-shaped regulatory sign of FIG. 8 has awhite background, then the two flap members would cover the entire signpanel.

The flap members 120 and 122 are secured in their two positions byturn-locks 42'. The turn-locks 42' are essentially the same asturn-locks 42 described above, but have longer upstanding shaft membersin order to accommodate the third layer of sign material. Appropriateopenings and grommets are provided on the flap members 120 and 122 inorder to mate with and be held in place by the turn-locks 42'.

As shown in FIGS. 10-12, a third cross-brace 130 is provided. Thecross-brace 130 is attached to crossbraces 28 and 30 by pivot pin 32'and is stored in a position parallel to horizontal cross-brace 30 when adiamond-shaped sign is needed. In this regard, hook-and-loop fasteners132 are affixed to the back of the sign panel and hold the cross-brace130 in place. When the square-shaped sign display is utilized, the thirdcross-brace 130 is rotated to the position shown in FIG. 12 and held inplace at its upper end 134 by hook-and-loop strip fastener 136 which islooped over the end 134 from the front of the sign panel and connectedto the rear face of the cross-brace 130. The lower end 138 of thecross-brace 130 is adapted to be releasably retained in the channel 53in the upright 52 of the stand member.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 13-15. Thisembodiment 150 is a combination of the two above-described embodimentsand contains a single flap member 80' and three cross-braces 28, 30 and130. This embodiment provides only two messages for display, but allowsthe use of both a diamond-shape sign message (FIG. 13) and asquare-shaped sign message (FIG. 14). When the flap member 80' is in itslower position (FIG. 13), a diamond-shaped message (e.g. "REDUCEDSPEED") is provided and only two cross-braces are utilized. When theflap member 80' is in its upper position (FIG. 14), a square-shapedmessage (e.g. "SPEED LIMIT 30") is provided and all three cross-bracesare utilized.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of theinvention disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects abovestated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible tomodification, variation and change without departing from the properscope or fair meaning of the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A sign comprising a sign panel composed of a foldable andflexible material and a cross-brace means for supporting said sign panelin a generally planar configuration, said sign panel having a frontsurface with a message thereon for presentation to the passing public,said cross-brace means being releasably secured to said sign panel suchthat the sign panel and cross-brace means can be collapsed and rolled upinto a compact package for storage and transport, the improvementcomprising:a cross-brace means which includes at least three cross-bracemembers pivotally joined generally at the centers thereof for rotationin a common plane; at least two flap members being secured to said frontsurface of said sign panel and allowing at least three differentmessages to be presented, said flap members being approximately one-halfthe size of the front surface of the sign panel and being foldable andflexible for rolling up with said sign panel into a compact package forstorage and transport; and fastening means for releasably securing saidflap members in a first position having, a second position and a thirdposition, said first position having two of said flap members bothcovering approximately a first one-half of the front surface of the signpanel, said second position one of said flap members coveringapproximately a first one-half of the front surface of the sign paneland a second of said flap members covering approximately a secondone-half of the front surface of the sign panel, said third positionhaving two of said flap members both covering approximately a secondone-half of the front surface of the sign panel; whereby a first messageis displayed by the sign panel when the flap members are in said firstposition, a second message is displayed by the sign panel when the flapmembers are in said second position and a third message is displayed bythe sign panel when the flap member are in said third position.
 2. Thesign according to claim 1 wherein the corner of each of said flapmembers is releasably secured to said sign panel by turn-lock fastenermeans.
 3. The sign according to claim 1 wherein the corner of each ofsaid flap members is releasably secured to said sign panel byhook-and-loop means.
 4. The sign according to claim 1 further comprisinga stand assembly with means for holding said sign in a verticallyupright position.
 5. The sign according to claim 4 wherein said meansfor holding said sign comprises a channel means for mating with the endof one of said cross-brace members.
 6. The sign according to claim 4wherein said stand assembly is adapted to be folded into a compactpackage for storage and transport.
 7. The sign according to claim 6wherein said stand assembly has a plurality of foldable, collapsible legmembers.
 8. The sign according to claim 4 wherein said stand assemblyhas resilient means for allowing said means for holding said sign todeflect in high wind conditions.
 9. A sign comprising a sign panelcomposed of a foldable and flexible material and a cross-brace means forsupporting said sign panel in a generally planar configuration, saidsign panel having a front surface with a message thereon forpresentation to the passing public, said cross-brace means beingreleasably secured to said sign panel such that the sign panel andcross-brace means can be collapsed and rolled up into a compact packagefor storage and transport, the improvement comprising:a cross-bracemeans which includes at least three cross-brace members pivotally joinedgenerally at the centers thereof for rotation in a common plane; atleast one of said cross-brace members having an end disposed adjacent acorner of said sign panel and at least another of said cross-bracemembers having an end disposed along an edge of said sign panelgenerally midway between two adjacent corners of said sign panel; saidends of said cross-brace members being adapted for mounting to asupporting structure to thereby selectively hold said sign panel in adiamond-shaped configuration and alternatively in a square-shapedconfiguration; at least two flap members being secured to said frontsurface of said sign panel and allowing at least three differentmessages to be presented, said flap members being approximately one-halfthe size of the front surface of the sign panel and being foldable andflexible for rolling up with said sign panel into a compact package forstorage and transport; and fastening means for releasably securing saidflap members in a first position, a second position and a thirdposition, said first position having two of said flap members bothcovering approximately a first one-half of the front surface of the signpanel, said second position having one of said flap members coveringapproximately a first one-half of the front surface of the sign paneland a second of said flap members covering approximately a secondone-half of the front surface of the sign panel; said third positionhaving two of said flap members both covering approximately a secondone-half of the front surface of the sign panel; whereby a first messageis displayed by the sign panel when the flap members are in said firstposition, a second message is displayed by the sign panel when the flapmembers are in said second position and a third message is displayed bythe sign panel when the flap member are in said third position.